Fair Work As a Duty of Care

In a world where wealth is increasingly concentrated, and essential workers—like those who grow our food—are often undervalued and underpaid, what would it look like to center care in the design of work? 

Studies show the well-being of these essential workers is deteriorating. In 2024, just 21% of global employees reported being emotionally and cognitively engaged at work, a decline from the previous year. This issue is particularly acute for agricultural workers; CareerExplorer data indicates that agricultural workers rate their career happiness at just 3.2 out of 5 stars, placing them in the bottom 47% of careers. Economically, their situation is stark. In 2023, farmworkers earned considerably less than the average for all U.S. occupations, and 21% of farmworker families lived below the national poverty guidelines. As job quality declines across sectors, so does trust in employers, in systems, and in the idea that hard work can lead to a better life. 

At B Lab, we believe that good jobs are the foundation of an inclusive and resilient economy. That means jobs that offer more than just a paycheck; they offer a voice, opportunity, and a path to stability. That’s the shift we seek to build through B Lab Standards, and the kind of transformation that B Corps like Once Upon a Farm are helping to lead.

Public Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corp, Once Upon a Farm, is the children’s nutrition company committed to driving systemic improvements in childhood nutrition for a healthier, happier, more equitable world. This starts first and foremost on-shelf with Once Upon a Farm’s products: organic snacks and meals for babies to big kids–all made with fruits, veggies, and no added sugar.

Once Upon a Farm also invests in internal practices that support growth and stability for their own employees. From paid parental leave and equity opportunities to flexible remote work and leadership development, the company’s “nourish and nurture” values shape how they show up as an employer. A market-based compensation audit ensures wages are competitive, and internship programs help grow a pipeline of future leaders in consumer packaged goods.

To truly drive systemic improvements in childhood nutrition, the company recognizes it must also push for systemic improvements in how food is grown, picked, and produced. That means seeing farmworkers not just as suppliers, but as essential partners in creating safe, healthy products that parents trust.

“We know our products are good for the babies, kids, and families who eat them, and we want them to also be good for the people who help to grow them.” says Madeline Tien, Sustainability Specialist at Once Upon a Farm. 

Their supply chain spans over 100 ingredients sourced globally and at varied scales, so there’s no one-size-fits-all model for worker care. However, they emphasize that complexity “should not equal complacency.” That’s why they’ve built partnerships rooted in transparency and long-term impact, most notably with the Equitable Food Initiative (EFI), a certification and training program specifically designed to improve working conditions and empower farmworkers.

In 2024, Once Upon a Farm sourced over 8 million pounds of fruit from EFI-certified farms, surpassing their 7 million pound goal. The brand also pays premiums on EFI-certified produce, which are bonuses that are distributed to all non-salaried farm and packhouse workers. 

“This extra income can help with bills, groceries, or even having the flexibility to treat their kids to something special that wouldn’t otherwise be in the budget,” Madeline shared. “They can also motivate workers to use their voice and ideas to make improvements that produce the best quality products.”

Worker voice is a cornerstone of EFI’s model. Through regular meetings between worker-manager teams, EFI-certified farms create space for workers to raise issues around food safety, social accountability, and workplace culture, thereby fostering change from the inside out. As Once Upon a Farm sees it, this investment pays off in both ethics and quality: “Farmworker wellbeing translates into better product quality and food safety, in addition to a more stable supply chain.”

At every level, Once Upon a Farm is striving to make the food system better—for kids, for workers, and for the future.

The 21% decline in employee engagement isn't just a metric; it cost the global economy nearly $10 trillion in lost productivity, according to Gallup. Disengaged workers are not only less productive, but they are also more likely to leave, underperform, and erode customer and team relationships.

On the other hand, studies show that engaged employees deliver better outcomes: higher productivity, more innovation, improved quality, and stronger customer loyalty. Farm labor offers a clear illustration of this principle, as the wellbeing of farm and packhouse workers directly affects food safety, product quality, and supply chain stability. As Madeline articulates: “This isn’t just an ethical imperative—it makes good business sense too. Farmworker wellbeing translates into better product quality and food safety, in addition to a more stable supply chain. 

We also know more than half of farmworkers are parents themselves. We believe prioritizing farmworker wellbeing through fair wages and adequate resources can have ripple effects on their households, fostering a healthier and more supportive environment for their children and families.”

In industries vulnerable to labor shortages, climate disruptions, and shifting consumer expectations, prioritizing people helps build stronger, more adaptable businesses. It also underscores the importance of the Fair Work Impact Topic in B Lab Standards: from living wages and worker voice to ethical sourcing and long-term accountability, care is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a fundamental part of how a business earns its impact.

Fair work is a reflection of how a business sees people and its role in the world. And in this moment—when the cracks in our economic system are widening—there’s a growing movement of businesses asking deeper questions: What do we owe the people who make our products possible? How can we build systems that care—not just extract? What would it look like to design work with care?

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to fair work. But there are values we can build around: dignity, equity, stability, mobility. These values sit at the heart of our Fair Work Impact Topic—one of seven mandatory Impact Topics in B Lab Standards. For business leaders looking to reimagine work not as a cost to minimize, but as a human relationship to honor, it serves as a good framework to guide their journey toward creating a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable economy.

Learn more about Once Upon a Farm: A holistic approach to resilience - Common Good

*All stills in this blog are taken from the films above produced for Once Upon a Farm by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions.